The league recently completed its own study on housing needs in town. It loosely defined affordable housing as a place to live that costs its occupants about 30 percent of their incomes.

Bishop said in Ridgefield, almost half of the town's renters spend more than 35 percent of their income on rent. One quarter of people in town who own homes spend more than 35 percent of their income on mortgage payments, she added.

"This makes it ideal as a housing location for seniors, for those with disabilities and for those who work in town," said Bishop, who called the Schlumberger land "a housing opportunity we likely will not see again."